Fountain pen



Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,413

F. M. ASHLEY FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Oct. 29, 1926 INVENTOR Patented Sept.25, 1928.

UNITED STATES FRANK M. ASHLEY, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

Application filed October 29, 1926. Serial No. 144,923.

My invention relates to fountain pens of v the self-filling type.

The object of my invention is to provide a self-filling pen in which allof the parts may be made of durable material and which may be filled bya single outward and inward stroke of a piston.

A further object is to provide a pen having a large ink capacity withoutincreasing the usual length of the pen, and other advantages hereinafterset forth.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification: M

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a pen embodying my design andinvention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pen illustrated in Figure1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the piston and rod construction shown inFigure 2.

A, indicates the barrel of the pen which is provided with a smoothcylindrical-reservoir A, the inner diameter of which is enlarged asillustrated at A 13, indicates the pen section which is shown connectedto the barrel by a screw-joint C, but which may be connected by a tightslip joint, or made integral with the barrel if desired.

The pen section is provided with a friction surface at B reduced indiameter relative to the outer diameter of the barrel A, to providemeans for holding the cap B to the pen section, the outside diameter ofthe cap being made equal to that of the barrel.

This reduction in diameter of the pen section adjacent the barrel,provides a gripping surface for the fingers, of such reduced proportionsthat a large barrel pen may be provided with a small grip surface,making a very convenient instrument to use, and also presenting apleasing appearance when the cap is on the pen, the outside of the capand barrel being of equal diameter.

It will be noted that the pen section is considerably longer'thanthose'of pens now in general use, which permits an exceptionally longfeed-plug D, to be used, whereby the ink flow may be controlled, whichis necessary where a large reservoir is used.

E, indicates a piston of novel construction which I prefer to make ofhard vulcanized rubber or other suitable st-ifi elastic material. Thepiston E is formed with two or more concentric flanges E which presentsharp outer edge portions which fit closely in air-tight relation withthe inner wall of the arrel, and by this construction all sticking o thepiston to the cylinder wall, due to gumming of the ink or undue area ofsurface contact between the piston and cylinder wall, is eliminated, andthe piston may be moved with a minimum of friction and still maintain aperfectly tight sliding joint. I prefer to make the grooves between theflanges E, deep and narrow to permit the flanges to bend slightly, sothat there will be an elastic contact between the edges of the flangesand cylinder wall, which provides for wear and also compensates for anyunevenness in the cylinder bore. The piston is provided with alongitudinally-extending bore F at its centre, through which extends thepiston-rod G on which the piston is rigidly mounted. A valve H ismounted on the end of the piston-rod to close the passage I, leading tothe ink-duct in the feed-plug D. An annular space J is formed betweenthe back of the valve and front end of the piston,

and in this space mounted on the piston-rod is a disc-shaped valve K,which is free to move back and forth between'the valve and piston, andserves to close one or more passages L, when the piston is forcedforward in the barrel on its filling stroke.

A plug M, is held by a thread M to the rear end of the barrel and itsouter end is provided with a friction surface M to engage and hold thecap B. The piston-rod passes through a central bore M formed in theplug, and a rodhead R is secured to the outer end of the piston-rod. Astuffing-box is formed in the plug by making a bore N therein to receivepacking material N and a packing nut P, is threaded to engage a threadP, formed in the outer end of the bore. The packing nut P is screwedinto the bore N far enough to provide room for the same thread P, toengage a thread R, formed on the shank R of the piston-rod head R, toprevent the piston-rod from being accidentally moved, and to regulatethe movement of the valve H in controlling the flow of ink to thefeed-plug, through the valve seat H, formed in the end of the pensection.

The pen is filled as follows:

First unscrew the head R from the bore N, then submerge the pen pointand end of pen section in ink, then draw the piston to the rear end ofthe barrel, thus causing all air and ink therein to pass through thepassages L, to the lower side of the piston, then push the pistondownward its full stroke, which will cause the check-valve K to close atthe beginning of the stroke, due to a partial vacuum being formedbetween the inner end of movement of the the plug M and the piston, andthe downward piston will force all the air and ink that may be in thebarrel, into the ink receptacle, and when the piston enters the enlargedbore at A the atmospheric pressure acting on the surface of the ink inwhich the pen is submerged, will force the ink through the feed duct andaround the piston in the space A and into the reservoir of the pen, aswill be readily understood. When through writing, the valve H may beclosed and thus avoid any leakage of ink from the reservoir,

and also prevent evaporation in case the pen is laid aside for aconsiderable period of time. Having thus described my invention, I claimas new:

1. A fountain pen comprising a pen-section, a barrel having a smoothcylindrical bore which is of increased diameter adjacent the inner endof the pen-section, a pistonrod, a piston carried thereby having apassage leading therethrough, and automatic means for opening saidpassage on the outward stroke of the piston and closing said passage onthe inward stroke thereof.

2. A fountain pen comprising a pen-section, a barrel having a smoothcylindrical bore which is of increased diameter adjacent the inner endof the pen-section, a piston rod, a piston carried sage leadingtherethrough, and a check-valve for opening said passage on the outwardstroke of the piston and closing said passage on the inward strokethereof.

3. A fountain pen comprising a pen-section, a barrel having a smoothcylindrical bore which is of increased diameter adjacent the inner endof the pen-section, av piston-rod, a piston carried leadingtherethrough, a check-valve mounted directly on the piston-rod foropening said passage on the outward stroke of the piston and closingsaid passage on the inward stroke thereof.

4. A fountain pen comprising a pen-section, a barrel=having acylindrical reservoir formed therein, a piston-rod, a piston of hardsemi-elastic material mounted rigidlythereon and carried thereby andhaving a plurality of concentric flanges located directly adjacent toeach other with sharp outer edges formed thereon which contact with thewalls of the cylindrical reservoir to form an air-tight sliding joint,substantially as set forth.

thereby having a pas-' thereby having a passage 5. A fountain pencomprising a barrel having a smooth bore, a piston rod, a piston havinga. passage therethru and fixed on said rod, a means carried by said rodadapted to close said passage on the inward stroke of the piston andopen said passage on the outward stroke thereof.

6. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a smooth bore, a pistonrod, a piston having a passage therethru and fixed on said rod, andmeans carried by said rod adapted to close said passage on the inwardstroke of the piston and open said passage on the outward strokethereof, and a valve carried on the inner end of said rod to close theforward end of said barrel.

7. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a smooth bore, a pistonrod, a piston having a passa e therethru and fixed on said rod, acheck-va ve slidably mounted on said rod to close said passage on theinward stroke of the piston and open said passage on the out Ward strokethereof.

8. A fountain pen comprising abarrel having a smooth bore, a piston rod,a piston having a passage therethru and fixed on said rod, a check valveslidably mounted on said rod to close said passage on the inward strokeof the piston and open said passage on the outward stroke thereof, and avalve carried on the inner end :of said rod to'closethe forward end ofsaid barrel.

9. A fountain pen comprising a barrel, enlarged in diameter at itsforward end to provide aspace for ink, and having a smooth bore, apiston rod, a piston having a passage therethru and fixed on said rod,and means carried by said rod adapted to close said passage on theinward stroke of the piston and open said passage on the outward strokethereof.

10. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a smooth bore, a pistonrod, a piston having a plurality of thin flanges provided with sharpouter edges, said flanges being of slightly larger diameter than thediameter of the bore and adapted to bend slightly to permit the pistonto enter the bore and slide in frictional engagement therewith, the saidflanges being made of hard semi-elastic material substantiallydescribed.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

